Client Services / Trial / Trust & Estate Controversy

Trust & Estate Controversy

McDermott’s Trust & Estate Controversy Group enters its 25th year as a full-time, full-service group of attorneys, representing fiduciaries and other parties involved in will contests, trust contests, will and trust construction and reformation suits and other fiduciary litigation.  Drawing on the resources of one of the world’s top-tier private client practice groups and a strong bench of first-chair lawyers in the Firm’s trial department, McDermott’s Trust & Estate Controversy Group achieves consistently strong results for clients on cases involving wills, trusts and guardianships, as well as charitable and exempt organization litigation.  Our dedicated litigators apply deep understanding of oftentimes complex and multifaceted legal issues to develop strong case strategy at the outset to deliver consistent results at a fair cost. The group is co-chaired by David A. Baker, a partner in the Private Client Department, and Lazar P. Raynal, a partner in the Trial Department. 

David Baker has handled hundreds of cases defending Executors and Trustees and representing plaintiffs in will and trust contests and parties in guardianship controversy.  During his 26-year legal career, Mr. Baker has handled many complicated will and trust construction suits, charitable and exempt entity qualification problems and estate and fiduciary tax related litigation.  He is  the current editor and author of much of the Illinois handbook on this litigation, “Estate, Trust and Guardianship Litigation,” published by the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education. Mr. Baker has also written and spoken numerous times on the subject.  One of the few lawyers in the country with an extensive background in all fields of estate, trust and guardianship litigation, he is often the first choice of fiduciaries and those challenging estate and trust documents to achieve their goals. 

Lazar Raynal concentrates his practice on complex lawsuits for individuals and commercial entities, including trust and estate litigation. He routinely assists clients in strategic planning issues and in negotiating, mediating and resolving challenging disputes by trial, arbitration and mediation.  Lazar’s experience includes the successful representation of Liesel Pritzker in the highly publicized case, Pritzker v. Pritzker.  Mr. Baker and Mr. Raynal are joined by a well-rounded group of lawyers in McDermott’s many offices.

There is no substitute for the experience this group brings to a problem, whether it is defending a fiduciary charged with personal exposure for handling an estate, trust or guardianship, representing a plaintiff in a will or trust contest or navigating a fiduciary or non-fiduciary party through the pitfalls of guardianship or charitable and exempt organization litigation.  Often, cases that could result in years of costly litigation are dismissed on inventive motions.  Unique arguments developed by our experienced practitioners, including complex procedural or tax aspects of litigation, are exploited to bring fast, effective and economic results to otherwise lengthy and costly litigation.

Contacts

Trial Client Services

McDermott Will & Emery

McDermott Will and Emery